I Must Protect You
by runyoucleverboy-remember
Summary: Clara and the Doctor had their lives together planned out. But at the birth of their daughter, Clara leaves to keep them both safe. When danger comes to them in the future, will the Doctor find them in time and save them both? T for slight violence and death. (Just to be sure)
1. Is This Goodbye?

She looked down at the beautiful baby girl in her arms. The last hour was a blur to her. The pain of giving birth and all the stress and cries, but it was all worth it.

"Ellie. I want to call her Ellie. After my Mum." Clara said, looking down at her. The most special girl in existence. She looked up to the Doctor who had tears in his eyes and smiled.

"Can I hold her?" the Doctor half-whispered.

"Yeah." Clara handed Ellie over to her father who was staring at her like she was the most incredible thing he'd seen in his entire existence. Because to the Doctor, that was what she was. He didn't understand how something so small could be the most important thing. How someone so young could be the most precious person in the universe. Ellie reached up to touch his face and his grin broadened, even though Clara was sure it couldn't any further.

"Can I tell you a secret Ellie?" he whispered to her. "You are the most amazing girl in the whole entire universe. And do you know how I know that? Because you are your mother's daughter and she is too."

Clara sat in amazement at the Doctor holding _their_ baby. Her heart melted as he spoke. She was relieved that the long nine months had finally paid off to more than she'd ever expected. She wanted this moment to last forever. Everything was perfect and nothing could take this away from them.

But Clara knew it couldn't last. She knew it wasn't going to. The Doctor was still oblivious to what was going to happen. She had to keep it that way, for his own safety and sanity. A few weeks before, the Doctor and Clara had gone to a new planet. It was to get Clara some of their special chocolate because the Doctor insisted that she try it after an argument about the best chocolate brand. When the Doctor had disappeared for a while to get the snack, a woman had come to warn Clara. She told her that the Doctor had a big heart but was dark. Everyone he loves, dies no matter how hard he tries to protect them. Clara guessed it was meant to be a warning of some kind, but later it made her think. She knew the danger she put herself in with the Doctor but how could she do that to a baby? More than that, a Timelord baby. Making that child the most endangered person in the universe. It was her job to protect her child, no matter what. Even if that meant abandoning the one she loves.

The night of the day Ellie was born, Clara went to her room. She gathered together Ellie's things in a mini-bag and then packed a few things of her own. Not too much as she couldn't carry it all. She had talked to the TARDIS who was willing to help her with her plans. It pained her to think of what she was doing and even more to think of what the Doctor would do when he found out. She scribbled down "I'm sorry" on a piece of paper and placed it on the end of the bed. She then asked the TARDIS to take her where she needed to go. the TARDIS landed perfectly without making a sound or shaking at all. This meant that the Doctor wouldn't notice.

"Don't tell him where we are." She whispered to the console. "But don't let him go back to his cloud. Tell him to run. Run, that clever boy. And remember us." With that she left, carrying Ellie in her arms. This was the only way and she knew it. Tears fell silently from her eyes as she looked back at the blue box one last time and watched it disappear. Time to start a new life. A normal, safe, life, for Ellie.

The Doctor sobbed in a ball curled up on his bedroom floor, with a piece of paper scrunched up in his hand. He begged the TARDIS to tell him where they'd gone but she only relayed a stupid message. He should have known this would happen. But there were no goodbyes. No reasons. He had lost his love and his child. The child he had known for less than a few hours. He had to find them. He couldn't live without them. He had already smashed every glass and broken his hand twice. (he broke it punching a wall, healed it and then immediately punched it again). Sitting on a pile of broken things, he whispered, "Clara, please." into his knees but he knew no-one could hear him. No-one was listening. Because why should they? He just carries on losing everything. Simply, the Universe doesn't care.


	2. New Life

**I wrote this a few days before the announced Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor, so I wrote this with Matt in mind as the Doctor. But it can be either. That's why I've tried to avoid too much detail on the Doctor's features. I promise the chapters will be longer. Please review and give opinions on what should/you would like to happen!**

Everyday it amazing Clara how much Ellie grew. They lived in a small village in Lancashire. There was a primary school there and a few shops but nothing too big. Just a quiet, peaceful neighbourhood. As far away from trouble as Clara could get. She would miss the commotions of life in the TARDIS but she knew it was better this way. Ellie didn't know anything about being half Timelord. She just thought she was an average little girl. But Clara never let her near a stethoscope, just in case she heard two heartbeats. Clara knew she had two hearts and that meant she couldn't take Ellie to the Doctors if she was sick. But that was fine as Ellie hardly ever got ill, much like her father. Thank God she got human sleep, Clara thought to herself. It would have been a nightmare if she slept as little as the Doctor did.

Ellie was such a beautiful girl. It was a week since her 4th birthday and all Clara could think about was how fast she'd seemed to grow. She looked like a normal 4 year old. A very pretty four year old though. She had her mother's big brown eyes and her hair was just a little lighter than Clara's was, much like hers had been at that age. She looked mostly like her Mum, except she was a little bigger. Clara knew that she would be taller than her one day but she hoped not by too much. But Ellie was so intelligent. At just under a year, she was having conversations with Clara, at the intellectual level of a five year old. Her imagination was wild and creative. She'd always be making up stories about galaxies in the sky and distant worlds. She would even write and speak in what she thought was her own made-up language, but Clara knew only too well that this was in fact Gallifreyan. Clara would try to make sure that Ellie acted normal around the other kids. She didn't want her to draw too much attention to herself. Of course other parents would talk about the odd conversations Ellie had with them in the playground. They also talked about Clara being a single parent. She knew people gossiped and she tried her best to just ignore it. She was only twenty-nine and sometimes felt like a baby amongst everyone else. But she was just as mature as them and most definitely smarter. And she earned a great deal more than them, working with computers and forming security software. It was a boring job but she was good at it and enjoyed the many pay-rises.

"Mummy, please tell me a story." Ellie begged Clara as she was tucking her into bed.

"Hmmm, what tonight little'un?" she chirped. Ellie giggled as Clara put on her "story-telling face."

"When Daddy asked you to marry him." This was a story Ellie had heard a million times, but she never tired of it. Clara sat up straight and looked Ellie in the eye.

"Well, once upon a time there was a girl and boy who travelled all around the universe seeing the stars together. And quickly, they started to fall in love. They were madly in love with each other and couldn't bear to be without each other. One day he decided he needed to talk to her. At the same time, she needed to talk to him. They bumped into each other in the corridor of their home. She insisted he spoke first as she was the boss. He then told her that he loved her and he asked her to marry him. She of course said yes and started to cry from happiness. He lifted her in the air and swung her around. Just as he put her down in front of him he asked her what she needed to say. She told him she was going to have a baby and his face lit up like fairy lights. He jumped up and down like a little kid. It was a sight to see. And then, of course, a little while later, came along you." Clara poked Ellie on the forehead, making her smile. She pulled Ellie into a deep hug and whispered, "I love you Ellie."

"I love you too Mummy." she whispered back into Clara's ear. Clara then stood up to leave the room.

"Mummy, will Daddy ever come home?" Clara turned to her daughter looking up to her for answers. Clara had never wanted Ellie to think she had no father and that he didn't love her. She had told Ellie that he travelled a lot, but didn't want to make them move too, so they stayed at home.

Clara pulled Ellie back into a hug and squeezed her tight. "One day Ellie, one day."

"Does Daddy not want to see me?"

"No!" Clara gasped at this question. She couldn't believe her daughter thought that. Whatever had made her think that? It was probably the fact that she had no memory of her father. Ellie wasn't a stupid child and probably saw through Clara's lies about where he was.

"No, of course he does. He's just very, very busy. But I promise, he still loves you." She left the room and turned out the light. "One day." she whispered to herself. "One day, I'll see you again." She twisted her engagement ring around her finger and pressed a light kiss to it. She never took it off, because she never stopped loving him. She just hoped he never stopped either. He probably had a new companion now, who he'd shown the stars to. He would have forgotten all about her by now. It was probably for the best that he did. She looked up to the sky and whispered, "I miss you Doctor."


	3. Please, No

**Sorry for the grammatical error in the first sentence of the last chapter. I'm meticulous at checking this and it was right at the beginning :/ **

"Ellie?" Clara woke to a noise in the night. Another crash sound. Her heart started to race and her eyes widened. *please be nothing, please be nothing* she prayed to herself for the few silent moments before the next sound. This time it was the sound of glass smashing. She heard muffled voices from downstairs and her instincts kicked in. Clara leapt out of her bed and ran to Ellie's room.

"Mummy?" Ellie asked. She heard the noises and was frightened. She heard a loud commotion outside the door and knew they were inside.

"Yeah, come on Ellie, Mummy's here" Clara whispered. She was terrified but tried to not let that come off in her voice. She picked Ellie up and carried her into the corridor. That's when she came to face to face with four very tall men. Clara screamed out in surprise and walked backwards to try and get away.

"Give us the child." they demanded. They had low voices and although they weren't shouting, they had a scary sense of authority. Clara slowly stepped backwards until she turned to run down the stairs. Ellie clung to her, her legs wrapped around Clara's waist with Clara's hand holding her head, occasionally looking back. But although she ran for all she could, she knew she wasn't fast enough. At the bottom of the stairs there were more men and one woman who seemed in charge. They were all dressed in uniforms but were not from Earth. Clara could tell by the markings on their faces and the extra finger on each glove of the foot soldiers. They acted like an army and Clara was pretty sure they were. She backed into a corner and clung to her daughter. She wanted to shut her eyes, count to three and wake up, but she needed to protect Ellie.

"Mummy!" Ellie cried but Clara was too scared to reply. She put Ellie down and stood in front of her, holding her from in front.

"What do you want?" Clara asked. She tried to hold herself together but her voice clearly was one of panic and fear.

The woman in front stepped forward. She reached out both of her hands. "The child." She had a badge on her uniform that was flashing red. The light was almost blinding in the darkened living room and Clara tried to turn her eyes from it.

"You stay away from me!" Clara shouted. "Don't you dare come near me or her!"

She removed one hand from Ellie's arm and with her spare hand, found what she was searching for. She pulled a phone into her hand and pressed the button she prayed would be a 1. Clara hoped that this would work. She was so scared and had no idea what to do. She needed to stall these people for just a few minutes, but she didn't know how. She then heard a faint murmur of "Hello?" just loud enough for her to hear, but not for the others in the room.

Suddenly two men lunged at Clara when she wasn't looking, and tried to grab her daughter.

"NO. Get off her. No. Ellie!" Clara screamed at the top of her lungs as one man grabbed Ellie and the other held her back. She was kicking and punching the man holding her. Clara was far too weak to fight off this clearly trained man, but she had to try. She heard Ellie scream as she was taken away and that made Clara try even more.

She finally managed to break free from his grasp and run towards her daughter.

"Ellie!" Clara's screams were full of fear and could have been heard a mile away.

"Mummy!" Ellie screamed back. Clara saw Ellie's tears and she was reaching out for her Mum. Why was no-one coming to help? Tears were streaming down Clara's face too and she was screaming out for her daughter. She couldn't fight them off anymore as two more men grabbed her and restrained her. Her throat was sore from screaming but she wasn't going to give up. That was when she saw all the men start to gather in a formation. The woman pressed a button and in a flash they were gone. Then she felt the guards holding her disappear as well.

"No!" Clara screamed out. They had taken her little girl. "Ellie? Ellie! No! No, no, no, no, NO!" Clara screamed out words of frustration and pleas.

She had no idea how long they had been gone but was still shouting. She was crying and screaming at thin air, until she felt two big arms grasp her from behind. She tried to punch and kick at the person but they shushed her into her ear. She knew that voice anywhere. But this made her cry even more. Clara turned around so she could cry into his arms and punch him in the chest. "They took her! They took my baby!" she kept screaming over and over again.

When her screams faded just to sobs, he finally spoke, "We will get her back. I promise you, we will get her back." His voice was cracking but stayed strong. Clara looked up into the face of the man she hadn't seen in four years.


	4. To See Your Face

**Earlier:** The phone was ringing. The phone never rung. The Doctor ran across his console in hope of any news of Clara and Ellie. "Hello?" he asked. He suddenly heard frantic screams and Clara screaming, "No get off her, no Ellie!"

"Clara" he suddenly panicked and quickly got his TARDIS to trace the call. They were in danger. The TARDIS didn't work for a moment. "Come on!" he screamed at the TARDIS and kicked the console. He groaned in sighs of frustration, "I'm coming Clara, I'm coming!" But the TARDIS was struggling to follow the connection. She was racing through time and space at ridiculous speeds. All he could hear was the sound of Clara's screams and a little girl crying out for her Mum. He landed in the upstairs and quickly ran towards the screams. He saw a flash as he arrived downstairs and Clara screaming into thin air. She had tears streaming down her face and was in a state. He could only see from the moonlight shining through the smashed window. The Doctor wrapped his arms around Clara and shushed into her hair. She tried to fight him at first but when she realised who it was, she turned around and cried into his chest. The punches hurt a little but the Doctor just held her. She cried out, "They took her! They took my baby!" She kept screaming for Ellie. He was overwhelmed in emotions and tears pricked at his eyes but he tried to fight the back. The Doctor just pulled her close and said, "We will get her back. I promise you, we will get her back."

* * *

Clara fell to the floor still in the Doctor's arms and cried. "Where were you?" she suddenly screamed at him. "Why the hell didn't you come?"

"I tried Believe me, I tried. But it was so hard to track you. I was a fraction too late. I'm sorry." He stroked Clara's hair and held her tight. She was still hitting him weakly with a clenched fist but then put it to rest on his chest. It felt right to have Clara back in his arms but not like this. After she calmed down, she whispered, "How long?"

"For me, it was Ellie's fourth birthday a few days ago."

"It was a week ago for me." They had somehow been apart for the same amount of time. Clara was still choking on her words and struggling to talk. She couldn't think properly and was coughing a lot from a sore throat. She wanted to scream at the Doctor again, blame somebody for this., but inside she knew that this was her fault. After a while of the Doctor wiping away her tears and stroking her hair she spoke.

"I am so sorry. This was all my fault. It was all my..."

"Ssh. Don't think that. You tried. You fought so hard and..."

"But it is." She looked up at him, her chocolaty brown eyes strained and red from crying. "I left you to keep her safe. And then I can't even protect her."

He had guessed at this was why she left, but now he knew for sure. He felt a wave of relief that it wasn't because she didn't love him, but now was not the time.

"You've protected her for four years. Alone and with no help. This wasn't your fault."

The Doctor knew he shouldn't start asking questions but he needed to know.

"What's she like?" The Doctor suddenly asked. His words were a half-choked whisper. Clara went silent. She realised that he hadn't seen his own child in four years. She suddenly felt an overwhelming guilt come over her. Clara took a moment to think through everything.

"She's... she's so beautiful." The Doctor let out a small breath he'd been holding and a small smile lit up his face. "And she's so smart. She has your brains." She spoke slowly and at a tiny whisper. The Doctor felt his whole body light up.

"Does she know she's...?"

"No she doesn't." Clara firmly replied. "She thinks she's a normal human child."

The Doctor knew why Clara had done this but a sense of devastation ran through him.

"But she has two hearts." The Doctor looked up at this. They stayed still for a while, holding onto each other. Clara's eyelids started to droop from all her tears and she fell asleep. The Doctor carried her back to the TARDIS and put her back in their bedroom.

* * *

Clara awoke a few hours later. She looked around and panicked. Where was she? She started to remember the night's events and tears crept to her eyes. She pulled herself out of bed and looked around. This was her and the Doctor's room on the TARDIS. She looked at the photographs on the drawers. One's of Ellie as a newborn and lots of her and the Doctor. A few of Clara whilst she was pregnant too. But one photo stood out. It was her and Ellie when she was about two. She remembered the photo because her Dad had taken it. It was Christmas and they were visiting so Dave could meet Ellie. It was the only time of year he was allowed to. Dave had taken the picture. Ellie is sat in Clara's lap with a hat from a cracker on her head and looking at a snow globe. How had he got this photo? Clara picked it up and walked to the console room. The TARDIS had changed a bit so it took her a little longer than it usually did. When she arrived she saw Vastra, Jenny and Strax huddled in a corner, with others Clara didn't recognise. There were about nine people in the TARDIS she'd never met and they were all conversing over something. She stumbled over and made a noise. The entire console room went silent and everyone turned to stare at Clara. Jenny ran over to Clara and pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's good to see you again Miss Clara." she said reassuringly.

"Good to see you too Jenny." Clara half-smiled. She was looking for the Doctor.

He appeared from behind the console and was about to speak but got stopped by Clara.

"How did you get this?", She demanded, pointing to the picture in her hand. "How?" she raised her voice and everyone looked at the pair. She was hurt, upset and in this moment angry.

"Clara, let me explain..."

"You better. You weren't supposed to find us. No-one was. This could be the reason she was taken!"

"Clara wait. I heard rumours that someone had discovered where you were. Whispers, that was all. I went to your Dad's house to see if I could get any news. He told me he didn't know where you were either but gave me that photo. I just wanted to see her, so I could protect you. But I couldn't find you anywhere."

Clara was still angry that he'd gone to her father's house., but she kind of knew he would.

"Clara I'm sorry..."

"It's fine." she snapped and turned away to put the picture back. The Doctor ran after her. She knew he was only trying to help but it was so hard to think in that moment. She just wanted her little girl back, safe and sound. He caught up to her on the corridor and paced his hands on her shoulders. She stopped and a silent sob slowly took over her body. She leant back into the Doctor's arms and let him hold her. Clara heard his sobs faintly in her ear and this made her tears fall faster than before.

"I've missed you." She whispered almost inaudibly. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry"

"Don't be. I've missed you too. So much more than you know."

"I know." Clara turned to face the Doctor and lifted her head to face him.


	5. It's Time

**All the next chapters have been written long in advance because I'm about to go on holiday to NYC for 9 days! I would really like to thank my friend Will Quirk for reading through all my story and constantly giving amazing support and advice!**

She stared into the Doctor's eyes. The eyes that had seen so much. They were slightly red and sore from crying. His face was still wet from tears and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. She was sure she looked the exactly the same. Her hands were grasped firmly to his lapels and he leant down as she rose up on her toes. The kiss was gentle but full of meaning and love. It was assuring each other that they were both really there. She didn't want to let go for all she was worth. She felt like a piece of her had been missing and she'd finally found it. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and pulled them as close together as they could get. When they finally broke apart from the kiss, they stood there in a tight embrace. Clara didn't know how long this went on for, but she couldn't let go. She was certain this was the only thing keeping her sane at the time and so was the Doctor.

They were interrupted by Vastra coming to inform them that they had locked onto a trace of where the people had teleported to. The Doctor still held Clara in his arms as he lifted his head to talk to Vastra. She knew she had walked in on something but they needed the Doctor. He turned to go to the console room and he grasped Clara's hand in his, threading his fingers through hers and squeezing as tight as he could. The Doctor explained why all the people were there to Clara.

"These are all the people who either owe me favours or want to help. In the last few hours we've been tracking the teleport, but it was very advanced. They're going to help us find Ellie and they will lay down their lives for her if they have to."

Clara looked around at everyone working hard. All seemed to have equipment in their hands and looked busy doing things. She was amazed that people wanted to help but she felt useless among this crowd. The Doctor pulled her over to the screen. He was reading co-ordinates and things in Gallifreyan. She knew that he really needed the use of both hands, so she let go of the one she was holding on to. He turned to pick up her hand again. "You need two hands." she explained. He smiled at her and started working at an incredible speed. Jenny came up to her with a cup of tea.

"Here. Don't worry, we'll get her back." Clara tried to smile at Jenny but it was half-hearted. She sat down on the steps and stared into thin air. Time just seemed to pass and Clara felt like nothing was happening. She kept remembering Ellie's screams and the look on her face. All she could think about was what they could be doing to Ellie. What if they were hurting her? What if they don't get there in time? Then she thought to herself, in time for what? She started to imagine the worse and got extremely panicked. Her breathing quickened and her whole body went rigid.

"Hey." The Doctor placed his hand on hers, snapping her out of her daze.

"What if they do something to her? What if we can't save her?" Clara was terrified and her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Don't think that. We'll bring her home." The Doctor looked down at Clara and didn't know what to do. He knew Clara was imagining the worst. And to be honest, he had too. He didn't know what they were doing to Ellie and he was praying every moment that they would find her alive. He stroked his thumb over the back of Clara's hand. It wasn't much but it made Clara feel a little reassured.

In that moment, the monitor started beeping. The Doctor ran over to it to read what it said.

"It's found the end of the signal! Everyone hold on! The TARDIS is following it."

Just in that moment, the entire room started to fall over as the TARDIS flew from side to side. The Doctor felt a small hand suddenly cling to his own and he pulled Clara to his side so she got a grip of the console. They were flung around until finally, the TARDIS stopped and everyone fell backwards onto the ground.

"Where are we?" Clara asked and everyone looked over to the Doctor.

"It seems we're not anywhere. Some kind of base. A spaceship of sorts."

The Doctor stood up. "Everyone, you know what to do. Find Ellie and get her back here. That's the number one priority."

They all filed out of the TARDIS doors. As they all left, Clara tried to go too. The Doctor grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"No. You stay here." He told her and turned to leave himself.

"What? Why?"

"You have to. I can't worry about you too. I'm not letting you put yourself in danger."

"It's not your choice! What if anything happens to you? I'll do anything for Ellie."

"But what if anything happens to you or me? Or both of us? Ellie won't have anybody left. She needs her Mum. Please Clara, just do as I say."

"No, I won't. You need me. I'm coming."

"Clara..." He saw the look on her face and knew he was going to lose. "If anything happens to you, I'll never forgive myself."

"Then I'll make sure nothing happens to me." The Doctor sighed to himself. He had missed her stubbornness. The Doctor and Clara walked out of the TARDIS. There was nothing in sight. They saw guards unconscious on the floor and knew that the others were already at work. They walked through a system of tunnels that seemed to lead nowhere.

Out of nowhere, someone grabbed her around the neck.

"DOCTOR" she screamed and he turned to see her. She was thrashing around and struggling to breathe. He paced towards her and tried to stop the guard that was choking her. He could see her losing her breath.

"Let go of her!" He ordered but the guard didn't listen. Clara then bit the man's arm. He cried out in pain and let go off her for a moment, causing her to break free. He was about to strike again when the Doctor heard a loud clang and saw Jenny with a large pole in her hands as the guard fell to the floor. Clara kicked his unconscious body on the floor in annoyance.

"You okay?" The Doctor asked her, slightly afraid of an angry Clara

"Maybe I should stay a little closer to you next time?" She tried to offer as a joke but her breath was slightly gone from the surprise attack.

"Yes please." The Doctor laughed. They heard a noise and the three of them started to move towards it. "This way." The Doctor beckoned and they all followed.

They came into a room full of wires and equipment. And lying on a bed in the middle of the room, hooked up to loads of machinery was Ellie. Clara ran forward towards her.

"Ellie!" she cried out but the Doctor place his hand over her mouth.

"Ssh!" he whispered and she remained silent. Ellie was sleeping. They could see her breathing but she showed no signs of consciousness.

"What have they done to her?" Clara whispered. She saw a kind of cap around Ellie's head that seemed to be sending electrical signals to machine on the wall. The sight made her bones chill.

"They're using her Artron energy to power machines. That energy could last lifetimes, especially if they know how to replicate it." Clara could tell the Doctor was leaving something out of that sentence. It felt too brief.

"And?"

"And what?" he asked all innocently.

"The rest of that sentence..."

"To sustain the energy they have to drain the power source. They are draining the life out of Ellie."

Clara turned to look at her daughter. Her tiny little girl lying lifelessly on a cold metal slab.

"Do something!" she demanded and the Doctor immediately started to scan the wires with his screwdriver, as if he'd been frozen before. A blip came from his screwdriver and he looked at his finding. He frowned and a look of worry grew on his face.

"It seems that if any wire is dislodged, it will cause an internal alarm that will inform the guards we are here."

"But we have to try!"

After a few moments hesitation, the Doctor stood straight up and straightened his bow tie.

"Yes, we do." The Doctor said and all at once, he pulled every wire off Ellie and pulled her out of the bed. An ear-shattering alarm was set off and Ellie started to wake up. She was groggy from what was probably sleeping tablets. Before she could rub her eyes, she was swept up into the Doctor's arms. Jenny was looking down the corridor and started to panic.

"The guards are coming!" Jenny cried. "Run!"

They all ran down the corridor, the Doctor carrying Ellie who was still drowsy. They bumped into Vastra, Strax and the others at a crossing in the tunnels. The guards behind them caught up to them and so did others from every other direction. The men all aimed their weapons. A woman walked to the front of the crowd. She had an intimidating smirk on her face.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"


	6. No Greater Cost

The Doctor held Ellie tight in one arms and grasped Clara with the other.

"Let us leave and there'll be no bloodshed. I'm warning you now. Just let us leave." The Doctor tried to remain as calm as possible.

"Too late for that. I'll let you leave, if you give me the child."

"No!" Clara suddenly chimed in.

"The child, if you please" She held out her arms and glared at them.

"Why do you need her?" The Doctor intervened. "What do you need her life source for? She was hooked up to all that machinery but what was that hooked up to?"

The woman obviously saw herself as superior to these people and took pride in explaining her agenda. "We are the Brikati race. We have debts from a war. A war that destroyed space and time. A war of the mightiest races in the Universe. The last Time War." The Doctor flinched. Anger warmed up in his veins and he knew where this was going.

"We were a small planet, caught in the middle of a war. Everyone would have been slaughtered. Millions of innocent lives because of a quarrel we were not even involved in." She raised her voice at the end and it was obvious she held a grudge over this. "But we were lucky. The race of the Milotts from the planet Milotten offered us help. They offered to move our planet into another solar system, to avoid the war of the stars. All they asked in return was our support, should they ever need it. We of course obliged and moved our planet."

"Then why do you need to energy? You are safe, what could Artron energy possibly do for you? It's not like you..." The Doctor stopped mid-sentence as it dawned upon him. "You didn't move properly."

"We were half-caught in some sort of Time lock." She snapped. "We carry on living in the same day and age. Never aging. Never moving on. The day starts the same way and ends the same. Each day is different of course but no-one can get in or out of our planet. We were travelling out and we have orbited for the last 400 years, trying to get home to our families." She was angry in an almost diplomatic way. "But the Artron energy can save us. It's just enough to unlock us from the lock. It is time itself. It will restore us to the modern age, breaking the lock. The other locked places will remain that way of course. One life for billions. Isn't that a worthy cause?" In honesty, Clara felt sorry for the woman but she was not letting Ellie go.

The Doctor got angry over her last sentence. "And the rest."

"I don't understand..."

"You're leaving out one essential thing!" He snapped at the woman. "The Brikati are a parasite race. They look like humans because they almost are. They go to other planets and feed off them. Off their lives. Then they take what they like from them once they've killed them in the slowest way possible, by ejecting their poison into their blood. It's takes years for it to work which is why it's so painful. That's why you were in the Time War to begin with! You were trying to feed off the Daleks and got caught in the attack. Serves you right."

The woman scowled at the Doctor and stepped forward once more. Everyone in the room now had looks of disgust on their faces. "Enough talk." She stated. "Get the child." The soldiers all took two steps forward and Clara froze.

"You're not getting her."

"Clara, no." the Doctor warned.

"You can kill me before you even touch her." Clara stepped forward.

"Alright then" the woman stated and a man to her right aimed a gun.

"Now!" Vastra screamed and all at once, Silurians, Judoon and Ice Warriors alike appeared around them. They all aimed at the guards who fell down in an instant. The numbers were equal in the fight. Guns started blazing and there were flashes everywhere. The Doctor held Ellie and they both ran towards the TARDIS. Bullets were flying through the air and they were trying to dodge them. A massive explosion behind them threw them off track and they fell to the ground. Rubble covered them and a buzzing sound dominated their ears.

"Get that child!" They heard being shouted in the distance.

Clara stood up in sudden panic and ran to the Doctor and Ellie. She felt a surge of pain just above her right hip. She looked down to see a pool of blood starting to form where glass had shot through her skin. She gasped at the sight of it and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She then ignored it and carried on running through the smoke. The Doctor picked up Ellie who was scared and very confused.

"Mummy!" she shouted and ran to Clara who picked her up in her arms.

"Sweetie, I'm here. It's me." Ellie clung to Clara and pulled her tight.

"Go." The Doctor ordered them. Clara's eyes widened and she gently shook her head.

"Not without you." Clara said. The Doctor faced her and Ellie. He stroked Ellie's hair and Clara's bruised face.

"You have to. For Ellie. Please, just go..."

"Don't..."

I'll be back. I promise" He kissed Clara's hand and ran back into the gunfire. Her hand was still held out, reaching for him.

"Doctor!" Clara cried, but she knew what she had to do. She ran with Ellie back to the TARDIS.

* * *

Everyone was fighting. The Doctor ran in and tried his best to fight them off. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for. He opened a fuse box in the wall and started to re-wire the circuits. He saw many falling to the ground, warriors from both sides and was being constantly sliced by flying rock. A few lasers almost hit him and he successfully dodged them all, whilst still concentrating. He finally flicked the right switch and he announced into an inter-com:

"You retreat, or this ship blows. I've hooked up the self destruct sequence. All I need to do is press this button."

"You wouldn't." The woman pressed. She raised her eyebrows and lowered them again at seeing the Doctor's face.

"Try me." The Doctor answered and lifted his finger to press the button.

"Wait!" she snapped. The Doctor turned around and spoke to his allies.

"Vastra, Jenny, get everyone back into the TARDIS. The emergency control protocols will take you home if I don't get back in five minutes."

"Retreat!" Vastra shouted and all creatures ran towards the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor on his own facing a whole army.

Clara watched as they filed into the TARDIS. She counted them as they ran in, Ice Warriors and Sontarans alike. She then noticed the missing person.

* * *

"Where's the Doctor?" she cried. "Where is he?" Vastra looked up at Clara with a look she knew all too well. It dawned on Clara what he was doing. "No, no he doesn't. Not now!" Clara ran towards the console and started pulling buttons frantically. Everyone stared at her. "Come on!" Clara cried at them, causing them to all start doing something. She paused when she was out of sight of the others and lifted her hand off her wound. Her clothes were stained red now and she was losing a substantial amount of blood. She couldn't really feel it much but she was starting to walk a little slower and was getting a few black spots in her vision. She pulled on a jacket to hide it and carried on setting co-ordinates. She didn't know how she knew what to do, but the TARDIS seemed to help her. The old cow, no matter how much she hated Clara, loved the Doctor too. Clara's breathing was getting more and more laboured but she ignored it, pressing on to save the Doctor in time.

* * *

The Doctor faced the army. He knew that there was no way they were going to surrender. This was a fight to the death. He didn't want to show he was scared but he was. He was terrified. He closed his eyes for a moment. He thought about his whole life., everyone he'd ever loved. And everything he lost. And then Clara and Ellie. The first time he actually saw Clara, in Victorian London, The first kiss, the engagement. And finding out she was pregnant, holding Ellie for the first time and seeing her again. Holding Clara in his arms once more. He focused back to reality and looked up.

"I'm giving you a chance. No-one else needs to die today." He was almost begging for them to surrender.

"You are weak." she snapped. "Do it. And kill everyone you love." He was about to change his mind but that was when he heard the TARDIS dematerialising. He knew that they were safe and off this ship. Now he had no choice. He closed his eyes and took a breath.


	7. Everything Ends

He opened his eyes to press the button, but instead of being in front of an army, he was staring at the doors inside the TARDIS. He ran to open the doors and saw he was in space above the ship. He still had the button in his hand. He was safe.

"I gave you a choice." he whispered back to the planet. "No second chances." His thumb came down hard on the switch and a bright light flashed in his eyes, shortly followed by a loud explosion. He shut the doors and looked away. More responsibility for more deaths. Inside he knew he had to do it, but that didn't stop the feeling of guilt overwhelming him. He then felt two small arms wrap around him from the back. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding and let a few tears stream down his face. He was alive. He was going to live, spend his days with Clara and Ellie. He turned around to face Clara who was beaming at him. She had saved him, like she always had and always will. He squeezed his arms tight around her waist, lifted her up and spun her around. He expected to hear a giggle of delight but he heard her breath hitch in his ear. He put her down and caressed her face.

"You alright?" He asked, looking for any problems. She looked a little pale but she seemed okay.

She smiled up at him, "Fine."

Most of the creatures were back in their own ships or had left to other areas of the TARDIS. Only Vastra, Jenny and Strax were left in the console with them. That's when they heard the tiny runs of a child.

"Ellie!" Clara shouted and lifted her onto her hip. She quietly winced at the pain, making sure the Doctor didn't hear. She hated when he worried and this was the last thing he needed right now.

"Ellie, I want you to meet someone very special. This is your Daddy." She pointed at the Doctor who had his hand out to shake Ellie's. Ellie shook it cautiously and clung to her Mother very shyly.

"Come on," Clara giggled, "Say hi."

"Hi" Ellie said quickly. She knew he had been the one carrying her when she was asleep earlier but she didn't know this was her Dad.

"Here, Ellie. I have something for you." the Doctor told her. He produced a bracelet from his pocket which had Gallifreyan lettering on the front. He hooked it onto Ellie's wrist. "It says..."

"It says Ellie! In my language!" Ellie chirped. She smiled up at her father. "Thank you Daddy!" The Doctor stood stunned.

"You can read this?" He whispered. Ellie nodded her head violently. She then smiled and reached out her arms out to be carried by him. He took her off Clara, who was beaming with happiness. He started to whisper little secrets into her hair, making her giggle and laugh. They were both smiling and happy, the Doctor tearing up with joy over his little girl. Clara was right, she is perfect.

Clara loved to hear that laugh. It made her heart light up with pride. She watched the two bond. Ellie was happy and so was the Doctor. This was her family. Everything she loved. She didn't need anything else. They were finally together again, like they should be. Blackness started to creep into her eyes and she started finding it harder to breathe. It was all okay now, they were going to be okay. So it's alright, time to give in.

* * *

The Doctor saw Clara's knees cave in as she fell back to the floor. "Clara!" he shouted and ran over to her, putting Ellie down. Her eyes were closing and her breaths were short and laboured. He removed the jacket she had put on to see the wound in her stomach. The glass that had sheared through her skin was big and had probably sliced a few organs. He felt his heart race increase as he started to panic. Her clothes were soaked in blood and the Doctor realised that she had been this way for a while. "Why didn't you say anything?" he demanded, trying to stop the blood leaving her body. He pressed the jacket onto her wound to try and stop the blood flow.

"Strax! Please, help!" he shouted across the console. The three were at his side immediately.

"I left my equipment on that ship." Strax replied frantically. Even though he was a medical soldier, he was useless without his gear.

"Doctor, she's losing too much blood!" Jenny cried out. Clara realised that they were all trying to help. She started to drift off into a sleep. She just wanted to rest.

"No you stay with me Clara, stay with me!" The Doctor shouted, shaking her to snap her back.

"Ellie..." she murmured.

"Clara shush.."

"Ellie" Hearing her name, her daughter ran to her side.

"Mummy, it's me" she answered. She was scared. She didn't understand what was happening. "Are you gonna be alright Mummy?" Ellie picked up Clara's hand and held it tight.

Clara tried her best to smile, "Yeah, it's gonna be alright. Just promise me something sweetie okay? Promise me you'll stay with Daddy. Can you promise me that? You've got to promise me that."

"Yes Mummy, I promise, I promise." Ellie didn't know why she needed to say that but it made her more scared.

"That's a good girl. I love you sweetheart and don't forget that." Clara was starting to struggle for a breath. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of her daughter crying.

"But aren't you staying too Mummy?" Ellie cried. She was shaking.

"I'll try." Clara's world seemed to go black until she heard the Doctor's voice bringing her back through the fog.

"Clara, please. Come on, carry on fighting. Don't give in. Don't you dare." He was trying everything. He was choking on his words. Clara would do anything to stop his cries.

"Doctor, she's nearly gone. There's nothing left to do. Don't waste the time you have." Vastra was telling the Doctor with a thick voice. Clara reached out her hand to where the Doctor's were applying pressure to the wound. She placed it on top of his and traced her fingers along his. He looked into her eyes, still praying.

"It's okay. You can stop now." Clara whispered.

The Doctor removed his hands and punched the floor. A sob shook his whole body.

"No, Clara." His tears were flowing fast. "I only just found you again, you can't leave me. I can't do this without you, please." He was begging her to hold on.

"Look after her." Clara whispered. "Tell her, I love her and don't forget that I love you too, chin boy." Clara noticed the Doctor's hands start to glow a yellow light and she looked up to him.

"Stop it, don't you dare." Even barely audible, she was firm. "You don't have much energy left to give. Save it for when you need it."

"I can't. I can't let you do this." He kissed her palm and hugged it close, letting the tears drip onto it.

"You have to." She choked. "For Ellie." She felt her heart get slower and slower and start to skip beats. "Run, you clever two." She didn't know if she could finish the sentence, but she had to. "And remember me." She lost all her energy. Her breathing slowed down and Clara lay deathly still.


	8. At The End Of The Tunnel

**This will be the last chapter until probably next saturday. I uploaded these chapters but not written 9 yet and as I'm on holiday, can't until I get back. So sorry guys! I won't forget though! I promise. And, as always, thank you so much for loving and supporting this fic!**

* * *

The Doctor froze. He thought he was going to be sick. He screamed out in frustration and smashed his hands on to the floor. He picked up Clara's body and stroked her hair, rocking her back and forth. He planted a light kiss to her still-warm lips. Ellie started to cry. She looked down at her still mother.

"Mummy, wake up." She started shaking Clara's arm. "Mummy, come on, Wake up." When Clara didn't move, Ellie got more frantic. "You've got to wake up! Why won't you wake up?" She started to scream. The Doctor pulled his daughter onto his knee and tried to move her away, but she grabbed Clara.

"Wake up, please Mummy, wake up!" The Doctor started to cry even more as he pulled his screaming daughter away. Ellie was reaching out towards Clara and trying to fight him.

"Ellie, she isn't waking up." The Doctor told her. The other three were crying and didn't know how to react to the child's screaming.

"Why not?" She turned to the Doctor and looked him in the eye. "Daddy, why won't she wake up? I don't understand!" Ellie climbed over to lie her head on her Mother's body. It was still warm but she was so still. Ellie had never felt so upset in her life. All her anger, fear and hurt seemed to build up inside her. She didn't understand what was happening, she just knew that she wanted her Mum. She reached out to her Mother's face and cupped it in her tiny palm. A warm, yellow light started to radiate around her.

"Ellie, what are you doing?" The Doctor asked looking up. He knew what she was trying to do, but Clara was gone. It wasn't possible. She could harm herself trying. "Ellie, stop it!" He had to protect his daughter. He couldn't lose her too.

But Ellie didn't understand herself. All she knew was that she wanted her Mummy back. The light entered Clara's body and she seemed to glow. More and more energy drained from Ellie into Clara. The Doctor tried to pull her away but was pushed away by an invisible force.

"Ellie, you need to stop." Vastra said but this didn't stop the child. The same force that pushed the Doctor, pushed Ellie away and she fell back into his arms.

"Are you alright? Ellie are you alright?" The Doctor checked his daughter but she was still looking at her Mum. He pushed the hair out of her face and wiped her wet eyes. She was waiting for something to happen. For anything to happen.

"Please!" She shouted, breathing heavily. The Doctor stared at Clara and then back to Ellie. He pulled Ellie closer and focused his vision on his dead wife. He then saw her chest slowly start to rise. Clara took a large intake of breath and the Doctor climbed over to her to turn her onto her side. She coughed and tried to breath properly, inhaling loudly. He looked down to her stomach but her wound seemed to have healed.

"Clara? Clara can you hear me." The Doctor whispered. Tears were still wet on his face, which was now placing a look of shock.

"Hmmmm?" she mumbled and the Doctor let out a teary laugh.

"Oh my stars, Clara!" He pulled her up into his arms and cupped her face. She looked up at him with tired eyes. He rocked her in his arms, but this time smiling and relieved.

"How...?"

"Ellie." the Doctor answered. He then remembered. "Ellie?" He turned to see his daughter sitting next to him. She ran to jump on Clara, who would have dropped her if it wasn't for the Doctor as support. He pulled out his screwdriver and scanned Ellie from head to toe. Clara looked up at the Doctor to listen to him whilst clutching her Daughter close. He looked at his settings with relief but still concern.

"What does it say?" Ellie asked. She knew she had, had to sacrifice something so save her Mum, but she still wasn't entirely sure what it was.

"You're down one regeneration. You gave it to Clara, to reboot her body. She didn't change though, because you did the impossible. You brought her back from the dead."

The Doctor knew that Clara being temporarily dead would be a problem. He didn't know if what she'd seen, scared her. He was just happy to have her back for now.

* * *

It had been a long day for everyone and after the Doctor dropped everyone home, they all almost collapsed. Ellie was first. She fell asleep on Clara in the console room after an hour of hugging. They both carried her back to a bedroom the TARDIS had created for her. The ceiling looked like a galaxy. It had beautiful supernovas and amazing gas clouds decorating it. She had her own toys and clothes, with a selection of books in both Gallifreyan and English. Her floor had a colour changing rug, which at the time was pink. And her bed covers also were colour changing. She had a large bed, just smaller than double to sleep in. A princess-like net hung over the bed with fairy lights twisted in them. Above her bed was a sign in both English and Gallifreyan saying "Ellie" in gold lettering. Each letter contained a few diamonds that Clara knew to be white point stars, only found on Gallifrey. A beautiful white and gold nightdress hung on the side of the bed. It was quite old-fashioned but it was beautiful. The Doctor lay Ellie down on her bed and changed her out of her clothes, careful not to wake her. Clara pulled the nighty over her head and pushed her hair out of her face. Their beautiful little girl. How amazing it was to be next to her, holding her. She thought she'd never see her again. Her daughter was extraordinary. She saved Clara's life. Funny, Clara thought, that she should be the one protecting her daughter, not the other way around. They both kissed Ellie on the forehead goodnight and left quietly to their own room, letting the lights on the ceiling dangle.

Clara found her old pyjamas still in a draw and put them on. Nothing had really changed since she left and the Doctor appeared to have been sleeping somewhere else or not at all. She brushed her hair back from her face and looked in the mirror. She felt and looked like death warmed-up. That scared her, because she actually was death warmed-up. She didn't want to tell the Doctor what death was like. She just wanted to move on. The doctor came up behind her and kissed her head. He was treating her like an ornament and staring at her with wonder. He couldn't believe that she was still beside him. He had his pyjama trousers on and no shirt. She saw little marks on his body. Battle scars. She turned to kiss every one, just in case she could make them better. They tucked themselves into bed and lay silent. They didn't need words. The Doctor was holding Clara and running his fingers through her hair. He kept having to check that this wasn't a dream and she was here, with him. She fell asleep in his embrace, where she felt safe. Where she'd always felt safe. She regretted ever leaving in the first place. This was the life she wanted. Her family, seeing the stars together.


	9. White Gowns

**Sorry guys for the late chapter. I had no computer in America and was going to upload quicker but I am extremely jet lagged. I know these next two or three chapters will seem too cheerful and cheesy but don't worry, plenty of heartbreak coming soon. Sorry it's bad. Needed to update and it kinda sucks a bit. It will get better, I promise!**

Another blackout. Clara woke up. Actually, it felt like coming back to life. Since Clara "died", life has been perfectly ordinary. As ordinary as it could be at least. Everyone made sure to make the best of things. They all had experienced the fact that life isn't fair and weren't prepared to waste it. But Clara hadn't told them about these moments. It was almost like she stopped. She'd just die for a short while. It had only happened when she was sleeping so no-one had noticed. She had no recollection of time when this happened. She never woke up drowsy or with a headache, just like switching on. But it felt like the blackness was waiting. Waiting for something, that wasn't ready yet. But waiting for what?

Ellie was sat on Clara's lap in the console room as they listened the Doctor's story of how he banished the Atraxi from Earth. Ellie giggled as he stood up and acted out his little "speech" he gave.

"You pretend to be such a know-it-all" Clara teased. He walked over to her and have her a quick peck on the lips.

"Which is why you love me" he teased back.

"Yep." She stuck her tongue out at him and he kissed her once again for it.

They were interrupted by a sudden "eeeew!" from Ellie and they broke apart laughing.

"Can I be a bridesmaid Mummy?" Ellie suddenly chirped. Clara's eyes widened and she coughed a little.

"What?" Clara asked, a little confused.

"Well you used to say that when Daddy came home you would finally get married! And when Harriet, from nursery's Mummy and Daddy got married, she was a bridesmaid!"

Clara looked over to the Doctor to wait for him to reply.

"Of course you can Ellie!" the Doctor replied. Clara still stared at him expectantly. "Better get you a dress."

Clara laughed off her confusion as Ellie changed the topic of conversation, but she still wanted to know what the Doctor was meaning.

After they put Ellie to bed, Clara pulled him into the corridor to question him.

"What was all that about bridesmaids earlier?"

"We've been engaged long enough." Clara still felt confused. "I don't want to wait any longer for you. I can't wait any longer in fact"

"What? You wanna get married right now?" Clara teased.

"Well, I was thinking in the morning..."

"Woah!" Clara interrupted. "Doctor, what about dresses and guests? I want it to be perfect. We need a little more time."

"Okay fine." The Doctor scowled, "three days"

Clara rolled her eyes. "Doctor! Where will we do it? What time zone for starters?"

"Alright, maybe two weeks? We can have the wedding here. The TARDIS will make everyone a room and a place for the ceremony and reception. We can go back in time to send out invites. It'll work!"

Clara couldn't deny that she wanted to get married soon and this seemed perfect. She spent a few moments considering her options. The Doctor started to pout at her and then slowly kissed her jaw. He murmured "please" in a petty voice inbetween kisses and Clara melted.

"Fine." she whispered. And the Doctor leant back with a grin.

"Thank you" he whispered. He then leant forward and captured her lips in a kiss and she was lost for the night.

The day had finally arrived. The Doctor had gone to a few months prior to give invites to Clara's Dad and the Maitlands. Jenny, Vastra and Strax were there, along with some of the Doctor's old friends. Martha and Mickey were there with a few other aliens Clara had met. Martha had assisted Clara in her pregnancy, giving her special vitamins that she might need for a timelord baby.

Clara looked in the mirror. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a sleeveless dress that had a tight bodice and gradually came out at the bottom. It was decorated in shining jewels that swirled down the dress in mystic patterns. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun-like design. Her hair swirled in and out in plaits and twists. Two strands of hair hung out at the front. A veil came out at the top of the bun and hung just below her elbows. She was nervous as hell. She held a bouquet in her hands which she was twiddling around. Her father entered her bedroom in the TARDIS. He was holding something in his hands and she turned to face him.

"You look beautiful." He smiled and pulled her into a huge hug.

"Thanks Dad." she whispered and clung him closer. "God, I'm nervous." She laughed as she stepped back.

"You'll be fine!" He assured. "It'll all be fine. Anyway, the Doctor asked me to give this to you."

He gave her a hair piece engraved in Gallifreyan letters. At the top there were three white point stars. They shimmered in the light. It came with a note saying, "_These diamonds will never shine as bright as you do xxx_" She smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Here." her father took the gift off her and slid it into her hair. "Come on, time to go"

She nodded gently, wiped her eyes and hooked her arm through her Dad's. Ellie joined them at the door and they made their way to where the ceremony was being held. Ellie walked in first, skipping down a short aisle. Then Clara paced in after, clinging to Dave. The Doctor looked up from where he was standing in a tux, with a bow-tie of course. He grinned at the slight of Clara and held his arm out to greet her. Dave kissed Clara on the check as they got to the top of the aisle and passed her onto the Doctor.

The Doctor wrapped a beautiful piece of cloth around her arm, binding it to his. She looked into his eyes and he whispered, "ready?"

"Always."

The Doctor took a deep breath and began to speak. "Clara Oswald. You are the best thing in my life. Ever since I first saw you, I knew you would be special. You made my life turn upside down and I couldn't help but fall for you. Every day with you makes me feel so lucky. I love you more than anything in the universe. You shine brighter than any star. You are beauty itself and genius. You have given me the one thing I thought I could never have, a family. I never want to waste a single moment with you around. I want to give you the entire universe. I promise to protect you from any harm. I promise to always try to stop your tears. I promise to love you for all of time. My Clara." He slid a ring on top of her engagement on and kissed it sentimentally. Clara closed her eyes for a brief moment and began to speak. But it wasn't in English. It was Gallifreyan. The TARDIS had been helping her with transliteration when the Doctor wasn't around.

"You are my everything. You offered me the universe and asked for nothing in return. I love you more than anything in the world." The Doctor gaped in awe of Clara and she returned to English.

" I promise to always hold you when you are crying and to never abandon you in a time of need. I will love you for as long as I live." She felt like her vows were nothing compared to the Doctor's, but they meant everything to him. The fact she had learnt Gallifreyan startled him and it made him love her more than he thought was already possible. She stood up on her toes and whispered his name in to his ear. It was a word of love and possession. She then leant in for a perfect kiss. The world exploded around them. The guests clapped and they broke apart smiling. Ellie ran up to them and jumped onto the Doctor.

"Mummy and Daddy are married!" she cheered and everyone laughed.

|The reception was simple. The lights were dimmed in a big room and the TARDIS played a collection of their favourite music.

The Doctor held out his hand for Clara to dance. She took it gracefully and ran into the middle of the dance floor with him. The song A Thousand Years by Christina Perri started playing and Clara thought it was perfect. This day was perfect.

After two or three dances, Clara felt a tap on her leg.

"May I have a dance?" Ellie asked the Doctor and he laughed as he lifted her up into his arms.

"Of course mademoiselle." He smirked. Clara stood back and laughed until she felt a finger tap her shoulder.

"Dad!" Clara smiled and he pulled her into a dancing position, hugging her as though she was still ten years old."

"I'm gonna miss you so much." He murmured.

"This isn't goodbye Dad." Clara replied.

"But you're not mine anymore." Clara suddenly felt like she'd grown up so much in the last few years.

"I'll always be your little girl." Clara hugged her Dad tighter and he kissed her on her forehead.

After an eventful day and all the guests dancing to "Barbie Girl" at Ellie's request, everyone had gone to bed. Clara flopped down on the bed in exhaustion and shut her eyes for a few moments. She then felt the Doctor's lips on her hand and she smiled up at him. "I'm exhausted" Clara moaned but she was only teasing. The Doctor made a little noise of protest and in reply, she sat up and kissed him fiercely. The Doctor smiled into it and gently pushed her back onto the bed. They spent their Wedding Night in moments of bliss, anticipating many more to come.


	10. Blue Lines

**At first this chapter was really short but it may now drag on a bit. Sorry for that. Forgot to thank you guys for all the amazing reviews and views! It means so much to me that people like the story. Btw if you haven't seen, check out Jenna Coleman's Wikipedia! It's hilarious. If it's removed by then, should be on my tumblr. (andyouremyimpossiblegirl) Enjoy the chapter! **

Clara wasn't sure her vision was right. No, there were definitely two blue lines. 6 weeks after her marriage and already pregnant again. She felt like an irresponsible teenager. But this was good wasn't it? No, it was the best. She had a gorgeous husband and little girl and now she would have another beautiful child. Clara let out a small groan at the memory of what a Timelord pregnancy was like. This was going to be a long nine months.

Clara left her bedroom and walked up into the console room towards the Doctor. He was teaching Ellie to pilot the TARDIS. She watched them for a few moments. It never failed to amaze her how amazing the Doctor was with Ellie. She was snapped from her thought when the Doctor shouted, "Clara!" She quickly put the stick behind her back to hide it from his glance.

"I'm just teaching Ellie to fly Sexy here! She's doing it a lot better than you ever have." He stuck his tongue out and Clara made a joking face as if she was offended.

"Oh thanks!" She laughed."Hey, I thought I was the only one who could be called sexy?"

"Of course you are, love" The Doctor stopped laughing when he saw Clara's face turn serious. "Ellie, go to the library. I'll meet you there."

Clara paced up to the Doctor, one arm still behind her, and he look at her confused.

"Clara, what's wrong?" His hand immediately came up to her face and cupped it. Clara laughed at his concern.

"Nothing, nothing at all." She smiled. He started to look extremely confused, so she pulled out the stick from behind her back and flashed it in front of her face. He took it from her with a look of disbelief.

"You're...?"

"Yep"

"I don't know what to say. Clara, this is..."

"Amazing." She beamed up at him and he at her.

He lifted her up into his arms, swinging her legs up, and swung her around in a circle. She laughed and giggled. He stopped turning and pulled her into a kiss. He put her down and brought his hands up to her face. His lips met with hers once more and they stayed like that for a long time.

They were in an examination room in a hospital in New New York four weeks later. Clara had been here once before, for Ellie, but this time it was for the little Timelord or Lady in her belly. Ellie was sat on a counter, chatting with one of the cat nurses. They all seemed to worship the Doctor here and even more so, Ellie. She lay back on the bed and lifted up her shirt. The Doctor stood by her, holding her hand. They smothered a blue-ish liquid onto her stomach and then placed a rectangular box-like thing on it. After a few moments, a hologram appeared in front of her. Last time she was here, they explained that this technology could show what the baby looked like now and what it would look like at around nine months.

"Well, you are about seven weeks pregnant." the nurse told them. An image of a very small sac appeared. It seemed so small for something so big. Then a new image came up on the hologram. It was of a fully grown child.

"And the gender?" The nurse asked. The Doctor just nodded, unable to speak.

"It's a boy." The Doctor kissed Clara's forehead with tears in his eyes. Clara was speechless. A little boy. She was going to have a little boy. Once the woman gave them a template of the hologram, Clara pulled her shirt back down and stood up. The Doctor put his arm around her waist and they walked to the near door.

"Don't forget to come back in about a month or two for another check-up. Just to check the baby is healthy." She smiled at them and they nodded in understanding back, then left the room.

"Mummy! Daddy!" Ellie chirped. "Look at the hat I made!" Ellie held up a TARDIS blue hat that was designed exactly like the ship herself. "It's sexy!" She cried. All the nurses around eye's widened.

"Ellie!" the Doctor shouted in extreme embarrassment, whilst Clara smirked up at him. She knew this would get him into trouble at some point. "Ellie, I told you not to call her that!" He tried to seem responsible but the nurses still stared at his flustering.

"No you didn't Daddy." Ellie stated, very confused. "You said that when Mummy wasn't around you'd call the TARDIS sexy!" The Doctor turned bright red and Clara laughed out loud at his face.

"And Mummy calls her the snogbox!" Clara shot a look at Ellie who immediately remembered what her Mum had told her about that. The nurses were now extremely amused by the conversation this family were having.

Ellie!" Clara repeated the Doctor. "You promised never to say that!" Clara was now all flustered which made the Doctor laugh at her. "And you shut up." The Doctor was about to keep laughing but kept quiet when he saw Clara's glare. In honesty, he was less scared of Cybermen than he was of that glare. It was the uh-oh-you're-in-a-lot-of-trouble-Doctor glare.

"So back to the snogbox then?" The Doctor teased after a few moments of laughter from Ellie.

"Who will you be snogging?" Clara questioned with a knowledgeable grin.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor replied.

"Well, call another girl sexy and you're definitely not snogging me." She stuck her tongue out at him and then went to pick up Ellie. They all walked back to the TARDIS and sat down in the library. Once Ellie had gone to her playroom, the Doctor tried to kiss Clara. She pushed him off her with a smirk and said, "I told you earlier that I wasn't going to snog you."

The Doctor gave her a pout and although she melted inside, she kept up her side of the game.

"Ah, you said snog. But you didn't say a quick kiss." Clara gave in and let him peck a kiss on her forehead and then one on her lips. "Goodnight sweetheart." He whispered.

"You tired already?" She laughed. Her fingers stuck into the book she had been reading so she didn't lose her page.

"Yeah, so I'm going to sleep. Join me when you're done."

He turned to leave when Clara shouted, "Wait!" She propped her book on the sofa, open on the page she was at and ran up to link her arm with the Doctor's as they walked through the snogbox.

"How about Auriga?" The Doctor shouted to Clara who was lying in a bath.

"What?" Clara shouted back. The Doctor walked up to the door.

"It's a constellation. I thought it would be a nice name for the little boy in there."

He rested a hand on her stomach after rolling up his sleeves.

"It's been a day Doctor." Clara complained. "We have months to figure this out."

"Hmmm, we do, don't we?" He smirked. Clara gave him a cheeky smile.

"What are you thinking?" The Doctor questioned.

"Stay in here with me?" Clara asked.

"I don't think there's enough room Honey." He teased. She tutted under her breath at his implications.

"No, just stay. I like it when you hold me." Clara smiled. She was so tired and just wanted to be with the Doctor. He moved over to behind the tub and wrapped his arms around her. Her hair was slightly damp at the bottom and it soaked his shirt.

"Promise you won't leave me again." The Doctor suddenly murmured.

"Of course I won't." She turned to face him. "You know I won't ever leave you again, don't you Doctor?"

The Doctor turned his face away for a moment and said nothing.

"Doctor, I love you. I am never going to abandon you again. Besides, Ellie needs you, so do I. And so will this little one when he comes along." She prodded her belly and he slightly smiled.

"Don't ever think I will Doctor. She pecked a kiss on his cheek and he turned his head back up to face her.

"Sometimes I just get scared. I dream that you'll leave me. Not like when you left, when you died."

Clara shivered at the last word. Neither of them had talked about it much since that day and it made Clara go cold all over.

"I couldn't live without you. I just about coped knowing you were alive, but that would be too much. I thank Rassilon every morning, when I wake up and see you breathing next to me. I had this one dream, a few weeks back. It felt so real and it was so simple, but it must have been a dream. I woke up and turned to you, and you weren't moving. Not breathing, not moving, nothing. You were dead. I tried to wake you up but you just didn't move. You were cold and looked so still. I must have woken up and gone to the bathroom because when I got back, you were awake. It was when you told me to "stop making you cold, spoon-boy."

Clara shivered all over. She had completely forgotten about her blackouts. She hadn't had one in nearly two months. She remembered that night. It wasn't a nightmare, it was real. She had gone to the darkness. She couldn't tell him that. He'd panic. But it wouldn't slip her mind. Even after she go out of the bath later and went to bed, it wouldn't leave her mind.

When the Doctor finally fell asleep, she whispered, "Nothing's gonna happen to me. I promise."

**Next chapter contains mature content. I'm leaving it as T but if the situation is hurtful for you in anyway, please do not read. I will put up another warning at the beginning of the chapter.**


	11. What Once Was There

**So- content warning for this chapter. Could be upsetting. If you want the rating moved to M, just tell me. I won't mind. And by the way, sorry about no lines in between scene changes in the last two chapters. I've been uploading off my phone and it wouldn't let me insert them. Please give ideas after this on how this fic should end because all my ideas break my heart, but the story has kinda gone that way :/ BUT I am about to start writing a Whouffle AU if anyone is interested, so keep your eyes peeled for that. And that's it folks. Thanks as always for the lovely reviews. Hope you enjoy :)**

The darkness. For a few nights it had been in her dreams. Ever since that conversation. But it hadn't actually struck her, until now. Something was waiting for her. But this time she wasn't alone. It didn't want her. It wanted...It wanted...No. She tried to run somewhere, but there was nowhere to run. She was trapped. She tried to curl up in a ball to protect herself but it didn't work. Death attacked her, again and again. But she wasn't dying.

* * *

She felt surges of pain shoot through her body which woke her up from her death. She was wrapped up in the Doctor's arms. Something wasn't right. She started to shuffle in his arms which made him stir.

"Doctor." Clara started frantically taping him. "Doctor, something's wrong." She whispered. He immediately woke and allowed her sit up. She already knew what was coming. She didn't want it to be real. She wanted to wake up from the nightmare she was having and let the Doctor tell her it would all be okay.

"Clara?" He asked concerned. He saw her face and started to breath quickly. She pulled back the duvet to reveal a crimson red blood stain in her nightgown. She cried out in horror and the Doctor immediately pulled her into his arms. Clara carried on screaming out. She couldn't believe this was happening. Tears ran down her face and she couldn't breath. "No!" She cried and the Doctor tried to soothe her. There was nothing he could do. Clara kept feeling extreme pain in her abdomen and she couldn't help but cry out. She was screaming for her child, for it to stop and for the pain to end. Her whole world seemed to be falling apart and there was nothing she could do.

Ellie came running to the door to see what was going on but immediately froze at the sight in front of her.

"Mummy?" She asked but she didn't reply. The Doctor looked up and tried to tell her to leave. Timelords are slightly telepathic and he hoped that her being Timelord too would help send a message. But Ellie's eyes were focused on her Mum who was crying and screaming. She couldn't see the blood from where she stood but knew something was very wrong. She finally caught the Doctor's eye but remained frozen to her spot. The Doctor needed her to go. He didn't want her seeing this.

"Ellie, go. Go back to bed." He begged. He really didn't want Clara to know that Ellie was there, but he had just pointed it out. Clara turned her head for a slight moment to look at her daughter who was about to cry. Clara's world stopped for a moment and she instinctively wanted to stop Ellie's tears.

"Ellie..." she whispered full of hope and sorrow. A second later, another strike of pain hit her again and she tried to hold back a cry as best she could, so Ellie wouldn't hear it. The little girl saw her Mum's plea for help but didn't know what to do. She chose to obey her father and ran back to her room. She could still hear her Mum from there, so she stuck her fingers in her ears and prayed for it to stop.

* * *

Clara stared out of the doors. They were parked in the middle of the Medusa Cascade. She looked out at the sky full of wonders, but stared into the darkness. She didn't move or blink. She just stared into the nothing. It was as if time itself had stopped. She wasn't even thinking of anything. Just frozen. She felt two arms wrap around her body and tears she didn't even realise were building up in her eyes, fell down her cheeks without her blinking. This happened twice more until her body shook with a silent sob. She shut her eyes tight and shook once more. More and more tears streamed down her face. The only sound audible was the heavy breath Clara would taken in every few moments. He was holding her, like he was trying to make it all okay. But nothing was okay and it wasn't ever going to be. She wanted to shake him off so she could hide in a corner. But she couldn't move or speak. He couldn't say anything to her. There was nothing to say. He hadn't cried yet. He needed to be strong, for Clara. He recalled those awful days. Nothing would etch them out of his memory. They haunted him every moment. He looked out into what he once saw as one of the Universe's most beautiful creations with disgust and shame. After all he had given the Universe, this is what he gets back.

Clara didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her. It was her fault and she knew it. She couldn't tell the Doctor what had happened. She couldn't even speak to him. They hadn't spoken a word since that night. He had just held her. But now she was trying to avoid him. She walked around the TARDIS silently. Once, when Ellie was sleeping, she checked on her. She brushed the hair back from her face and laid a kiss on her forehead, but didn't speak a word. She felt like words were useless now. She was sleeping in a room she had found in the TARDIS. It was far away from the console room and the Doctor didn't know about it. He didn't attempt to look for her when she hid herself away in there. He knew the TARDIS would make sure she was okay and got what she needed. She needed to stay away from everyone. She couldn't stand being near people. She wanted to be alone yet, at the same time, she wanted to be held by him. Even in her sleep, she couldn't escape the nightmares, but it was better than being awake. She wished that she could drift into a never-ending sleep. She wouldn't wish for death as she had been there and it wasn't peaceful. A few days before, life had been perfect. Now, it was as far from it as it could get.

* * *

The Doctor helped Ellie get dressed. She hadn't seen her Mum since that night and was extremely worried. Her Dad was barely talking to her and she didn't know why. "Where's Mummy?" She asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor replied. He didn't want to speak.

"Is she okay?" Ellie didn't want to be rude but she needed to know what was going on. The Doctor nodded his head slowly and then suddenly broke down. He had been trying to hold it all in, for Clara mostly and in hope it would make it all better. But it all came back and him and he broke down into tears on the floor, his head in his hands. Ellie looked at her father and ran over to him. She tried to put her arms around him to hold him, but she couldn't, so settled for a hug instead. He cried into his daughter's shoulder and pulled her close. She had only seen her father cry this much once before, and that was when her Mum died. It scared Ellie. He was such a tough man and he rarely broke down like this. It brought tears to her eyes and she didn't know what to say to make it better.

He knew he shouldn't cry on his daughter like this, but he couldn't help it. He held her close to him to make sure that she was really there. He didn't want to let go. He pushed his head into her shoulder, making her dress wet. He needed to snap out of it. He abruptly sat back, still crying and stood up, leaving Ellie still sat on the floor. She stood up too and looked up at him to say something. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked up for a second to stop the tears.

"Sorry." He choked. "Now, pink dress or purple one?" He held out two frocks in front of him and Ellie stayed silent in shock of this sudden change of mood.

When she didn't reply he spoke again, "personally, I prefer the purple" She just nodded slowly and he put the pink back. He didn't want to scare her but he knew he slightly had. He was ruining everything.

* * *

Clara needed to get back to Ellie and the Doctor. She didn't know how long it had been. She needed to talk to them, but didn't know how. She wasn't sure of anything any more. She was once confident that the universe was an amazing thing, but now she knew it was the opposite.


	12. Happy Endings Don't Exist

**Sorry for the late update. It was my birthday today so I decided to write and update at 5am. I am so very clever. This could be the end. Or not. You'll have to find out. Anyway It's sad. I made myself nearly cry, though I am really tired and have been up for nearly 24 hours straight. Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews and support you guys have for this fic! It has really cheered me up over the last few weeks to come online and see all that so THANK YOU! **

* * *

Clara walked towards the console room. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She hadn't spoken to anyone in four days and the next conversation would probably be the hardest she'd ever have. Her head felt like it was spinning around and she was struggling to focus on finding her way around the twisting corridors. She had found her bedroom to change clothes after a while and she knew her way to the console room from there. She could hear a muttered conversation between the Doctor and Ellie as she stepped out of the corridor, barely in view, but noticeable. The Doctor immediately turned around to see her. He lifted Ellie off his knee, where she had been perched, and stood up to face Clara. He didn't say anything but she knew he was wanting to ask if she was okay. She nodded as a sign of yes, but her face stayed blank. Ellie stared up at her Mum with something Clara never wanted a four year old to have in her eyes, maturity. Ellie didn't say anything, almost as if she now knew better. It seemed she had grown up too fast. Clara was waiting for Ellie to shout "Mummy" and run into her arms, or show her all the things she'd made in the last week. But she remained silent. It pained Clara to see this but it made her know that what she was about to do was the right thing, if there was one. Clara walked over towards the Doctor and Ellie. They stood like holograms, their eyes following her every move but standing as still as statues. When Clara finally reached them, she looked both of them in the eye in turn. She then dropped to her knees and pulled Ellie into a tight hug. At first Ellie didn't respond and Clara wanted to cry, but she instantly pulled her closer when Ellie wrapped her arms around Clara's neck.

"Hey sweetheart" Clara murmured. Ellie smiled slightly, but didn't reply. She was afraid she'd say something wrong.

"Ellie, talk to me." Clara whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears, unintentionally caused by the seemingly cold actions by her daughter and husband.

"What do I say, Mummy?" Ellie finally whispered back and Clara let out a sigh of relief. For a moment she had thought that they were never going to speak again. But the maturity of Ellie's words ripped a hole somewhere in Clara's heart and she knew that Ellie had lost something she couldn't get back.

"I love you Ellie." Clara hadn't let go of Ellie the whole time, holding her as close as she could in case she never got to again.

"I love you too Mummy." Ellie pulled out of the hug and looked up to her father, who rustled her hair to make her smile. "I'll go to my room." Ellie said and Clara's eyes widened. She felt like Ellie didn't want to be near her.

Once the Doctor heard Ellie's door shut, he turned to face Clara. A week ago, he would have given anything to pull Clara into his arms and hold her as tight as he could. Now, he didn't know what was the right thing to do or say anymore.

"A Hello would be nice." Clara tried to laugh off, but the Doctor's face stayed emotionless.

"Hi." He murmured quietly.

"Hi." She replied.

"I don't know what to say." He muttered under his breath.

"You know, words usually help." Clara stated louder. Even though she was trying to act normal, they both couldn't help but notice the growing tension in the air.

The Doctor smiled to himself and then it extended into a grin. He wrapped his arms around Clara and pulled her close. She smiled into his chest and squeezed him as tight as she could, memorising every last detail. After burying her face in his chest for a few minutes, she pulled back and pecked him on the lips.

"Doctor..." She started. She coughed to clear her throat and then started again, staring at her feet the whole time. "Doctor, I can't do this anymore."

"What?" The Doctor's voice and dropped and he felt like a knife had been stabbed into his chest over and over.

"I wanted this to be my life so badly, but it can't ever be. You and Ellie will live for hundreds of years after I'm gone. All I can do is get hurt and die. I'd rather go now than have to watch Ellie grow and know that in 900 years time, she'll still be travelling around, forgetting me completely. In about twenty years, I'll be old. You won't want me Doctor. And once I'm dead..."

"Don't..."

"You will find someone else to travel with. Who knows? In sixty years Ellie could be attending your wedding to your new partner. And you'll forget about me. But in the mean time, I have to live through all this pain. Losing everything that is special to me. Losing everyone I love. I have already died a thousand times in a thousand different places for you. I've done what I need to do, and that is protect my family. I'm not the same after the last time I died. There are moments where I just seem to die. I stop. That's why I lost the baby. I stopped because I didn't think. I can't go on living like this, Doctor, I just can't." Clara had kept in quiet tones and tears edged slowly down her cheeks. The Doctor was crying too but stood firmly on the spot.

"Clara, please. If there's anything I can do. I need you and Ellie. You promised you'd never leave me again..."

"Ellie will stay here. She has so much more here than I ever will. I'm giving you this chance, don't you see?" Clara picked up the Doctor's hand and he grasped hers tight.

"Clara, I'm begging you. I can't live without you. Please Clara, don't do this..."

"You're going to have to at some point. You know what Doctor? I always thought travelling with you was incomparable to anything else, but it isn't. It's like a drug. At first, it makes you feel better than you ever have before. Nothing is like it and you find yourself craving more. Everyone around you tells you it's dangerous, but you don't listen because you don't see how anything so good could be so bad. Then you get addicted. Even if you try to stop, you can't because its a part of you now and you can't live without it. But that part of you that once was so amazing is like a time bomb. Just waiting to go off. Eventually it kills you. And right at the end, you regret never getting out. So I'm going to get out before it's too late, because right now my time is running out and it's not long left."

"Ellie." The Doctor mumbled frantically, "Ellie needs you. _We_ need you."

"Ellie is growing up so fast. Everyday I look at her and know that she is not going to be little girl for much longer. I need to leave now, before Ellie hates me. Before you no longer love me. I need to leave when I know it was all good in the end." Clara wiped the tears off the Doctor's cheek with her hand and then cupped his face. She pulled him down for an intense kiss. One last to say goodbye. The Doctor held her as tight as he could, savouring every moment. He couldn't let this moment end. All too soon he felt Clara pull away and he fought to keep her back in his arms.

"Doctor, let go." Clara whispered. He reluctantly released his hold on her and as she stood back, she straightened her dress and wiped her dress. She then programmed her co-ordinates for her home in the TARDIS and they took off. She had gotten much better at flying and landing though Clara felt bang as they came to halt.

"This is goodbye Doctor. It was the best. I am never going to forget you..."

"Clara..."

"Tell Ellie that I love her so, so much." Almost on cue, Ellie ran into the console room.

"Where are you going Mummy?" She asked. She looked worried at the tear stained faces of her parents. Clara smiled up at Ellie to make her lose all her fears.

"Just shopping sweetie. I'll be back before you know it."

"Okay Mummy."

"I'd better be quick." Clara stuttered. "See ya, Doctor." She quickly kissed him on the lips and gave Ellie a light hug. "Love you Ellie." she smiled, falsely.

"Love you too Mummy!" Ellie squeezed her wait tight and then walked off back to her room. As Clara walked out of the TARDIS doors, she heard Ellie cry, "See you later Mummy!" Clara ran as fast as she could away from her old life in the TARDIS.


	13. Every Ending Has A Beginning

**Sorry for the long wait. I couldn't bring myself to write this. I hate endings. Thank you so so much for all the amazing reviews and how many views there are! I can not be grateful enough! This chapter makes me really sad because I hate endings and certain ones actually make me feel sick to my stomach. Including this one now so if you're like that too, sorry. I hope you've enjoyed the story! Thank you xo**

* * *

"Daddy." Ellie's voice broke the silence in the console room. But this was a silence that had been ongoing for months. Ever since Clara left, the Doctor barely talked anymore. He felt as if he was living but he wasn't alive.

"Is Mummy ever coming back?" the Doctor didn't have the heart to tell Ellie the truth. Her 5th birthday was coming up soon and he knew that Ellie wanted her Mum there. But the Doctor had no way of contacting her. Much like when he first lost Clara and Ellie, she had gone to great lengths to hide herself.

* * *

It felt like pain ran through every end of her body. Her whole body was on fire and she couldn't stop it. And she was running, so fast. Running from death and the burning and the pain and the loss. Running from her mind. Clara woke screaming. She looked around for anyone, then remembered that no-one would be there. She was alone now. It had to be that way. What she would give if she could hug her daughter one last time and kiss the Doctor. She knew that death was coming soon. When Ellie had brought her back, she did the impossible. You're not meant to be able to be brought back to life once you're gone. Whether it was having the same DNA or Ellie being powerful, she'd done it, but at a cost. Clara only had an extra few years. She knew it. The nightmares would tell her.

* * *

The TARDIS finally landed. The Doctor didn't know what was wrong with her. She had just changed course, mid-flight, and taking them where they needed to be. She had done this once before, with Jenny. Maybe he needed to be here.

"Dad? Where are we?" Ellie asked. She stood up from the floor, which she'd fallen onto during landing.

"Earth. Come on" He grabbed Ellie's hand and they walked slowly out of the TARDIS. They walked into a room. It looked confusingly normal with no clear signs of danger. The Doctor stared at a door for a moment, before a voice made him jump and turn.

"I knew you'd come." It was just a whisper but immediately , the Doctor stood in shock. Clara looked a little older than when he'd last seen her, but not too much. The main noticeable difference were the huge bags under her eyes and how scarily thin she was. Clara's eyes locked onto the person hiding behind her Dad.

"Ellie?" Clara could barely manage to speak. The little person nodded and Clara ran to give her a hug. She knelt onto the floor and squeezed Ellie tight.

"Oh my stars, I thought I'd never see you again. You're so grown up! How old are you?" Ellie started to cry. It had been so long since she'd seen her Mum, most memories felt like a dream.

"I'm nine."

"You're nine?" Clara leant back, tearful and tucked a loose strand of Ellie's hair behind her ear. "You're so grown up." Clara's tears fell freely. The Doctor looked down to Clara. Eventually, she looked up into his eyes. She slowly stood up and cupped his face with her hand. Tears were streaming down his face and he shook his head lightly.

"No." He cried, still shaking his head. She nodded slowly back.

"It has to be this way."

"It doesn't. I can do something. I'll do anything, Clara. Please." He wasn't sure who he was begging anymore.

"All those tests. You did so many on me but you never told me the truth. Did you think I wasn't going to figure it out in the end? You knew what was happening to me. Or at least going to. When I lost the baby, you knew it had started. I didn't want to be a burden. Constantly falling into the shadows, waiting for it to come."

"But, I can stop the shadows. It doesn't have to be like this."

Clara stood up on her toes and pulled the Doctor in for a kiss. He kissed her as passionately as he could, knowing it was the last time. Clara didn't ever seem sick. But the blackness was eventually taking over her. Inside, she'd been dying for years. Soon enough her organs would fail and that would be it. Every blackout had brought more death and despair. She didn't want them to remember her like this, but she needed to seem them one last time.

"Mum." Ellie was sobbing into her hands and she pulled away from the Doctor.

"I'm so sorry sweetie. I love you so much. I've missed you so much too."

"How long?" The Doctor interrupted.

"Somehow, our timing always aligns I guess. You always find me at the right time."

Clara scooped her daughter into a hug and lifted her up. It took a lot of energy Clara really didn't have, but she didn't care. The Doctor took Ellie off Clara, immediately seeing the strength it was taking her.

Clara felt something inside of her go black. It was starting. She didn't want them here for this.

"You need to go. Ellie, I love you so much and I never want you to forget that, okay? And doctor, please don't be alone. Look after her and be the best you can be. I love you so much. Don't you dare go back to your stupid cloud. Now, please go."

The Doctor saw Clara's pleas but couldn't leave.

"I'm not going."

"You must..."

"I'm not letting you do this alone." The Doctor's words were final and Clara knew she had no chance of objection. Almost on cue, Clara felt a wave of blackness hit her. She was stopping. It wasn't painful, it just felt like she was giving. Her knees caved in underneath her and she fell to the ground. The Doctor caught her in his arms before she hit the floor.

"What's happening?" Ellie was so confused. She'd thought that her Mum was going to come home, but now she was dying and there was nothing she could do.

"Ellie, run into the TARDIS. Get me the Lexometer from the medical room. It's that purple thing." Ellie instinctively did as she was told and ran as fast as she could.

"You hold on now Clara." Clara brought her hand up to the Doctor's face and carefully stroked it.

"Someone once told me that the heart wasn't important. To me, it's everything. You gave me everything Doctor. I don't need anymore. You need to stop trying. I don't want to carry on."

Ellie ran back with the Lexometer. The Doctor took it off her and started placing it on Clara's stomach.

"This will reactivate you organs, get them working again..."

"They can't work if they're dead Doctor. There's no life left in me to sustain it. It's pointless." The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut tight.

"But, I only just found you again. You told me you'd never leave me. Do you remember that? I can't cope. Knowing you were alive, I just about got by. But knowing you'll be dead. Clara please." He felt for her pulse and it was starting to fade. Her breaths were heavier and raspier.

"It's going to be okay. I know it is. It's all going to be okay. I'm dying, but that's alright. Because I'll be happier that way. And I'll have said goodbye. And I'll always be with you, in here." She prodded the Doctor's chest before choking on a breath. It was coming and she knew it. The Doctor quickly held her tighter and pulled her close. Ellie ran to hold her Mother's hand.

"I want you to be happy. See the stars and never look back. I love you both so much." With the rest of her energy, she squeezed Ellie's hand tight and leant up to kiss the Doctor. Upon her lips touching his, he knew she was gone. He held her there for a moment, before letting her fall back.

"Clara." He tapped her cheek and let tears fall onto it. "Clara, I love you too."

Ellie was crying onto her father's shoulder and the Doctor, onto Clara's lifeless body.

* * *

The Doctor had taken Clara back into the TARDIS, who was being extremely mournful. They had gone to the galaxy of Resgard. If you stepped outside of a contained air bubble the Doctor had put up, your atoms would instantly be recomposed as stars. The birth of a million new stars. This is where lots of life in the Universe was created. The Doctor knew Clara would like that. To become a million stars. He held Clara's body, still slightly warm. He then released it into the sky. She passed through the air bubble and immediately disintegrated into a million different stars that exploded around them. Some were pushed millions of miles away.

"Ellie, I want to show you something." Ellie was holding her Dad's hand as they made their way to the console. He took her to a place in Lancashire. It was 1989. They were outside a hospital. On the second floor, they could see a man and a woman, holding their newborn child.

"Is that..?" Ellie whispered.

"It's your Mum." The Doctor replied. "Ellie, look up." She looked up at the sky and saw hundreds of shooting stars falling. "And so is that." It took her five hundred years for some of her atoms to fall past this galaxy. Those stars are still travelling. They will for millions of years before they reach their orbit."

"I made sure that they fell on this day. Every ending has a beginning." The Doctor hugged Ellie close and they watched the stars fall.

At the same time, the family inside the hospital looked up too. They saw the shooting stars and made a wish. They wished that their child would one day see the stars and be happy.

The Doctor could never go back to his cloud. Not now. He would always move on and be happy. He blamed it on this girl. She had brought him off his cloud. She was impossible. She died for him, he thought twice, but in fact a million times. She made him happier than he ever was. She showed him how to love again. She showed him how to live again. She gave him a family and a purpose. She would remain in his hearts forever. She was his Clara. His Clara Oswin Oswald.


End file.
